Apology Against the Exceptions of Black and Kendall, Section Baxter 58 – Section Blake 64
§. 58.
R. B. I Willingly leave every man to his own judgement in this: But I think it moſt probable, that the ſ…paration of Soul and body was particularly intended in the threatning, Thou ſhalt dye the death. Reaſ. 1. Becauſe this is it that is in prima ſignificatione called Death, and the miſeries of Life, but Tropically, much more this or that particular miſerie: which anſwers your objection about ſickneſſes. 2. This is it that Chriſt was neceſſarily to ſuffer for us: and if it had not been neceſſary for man to dye thus, by the Commination of that Law, then it would not thence have been neceſſary for Chriſt to dye this Death. For it was not the following ſentence (which you call Leges poſt la…as) which Chriſt came to ſatisfie or bear, but the curſe of the Law. Gal. 3.13. be being made a curſe for us. Phil. 2.8. Col. 1.22. Heb. 9.15. by means of death he was to Redeem the tranſgreſſors of th… firſt Law; without Blood there is no Remiſſion: The death of the creatures in ſacrificings ſignified the neceſſity of this Death of Chriſt. I have met with none but Mr. John Goodwin that ſaith, Chriſts readyneſs or willingneſs to have dyed, might have ſerved the turn, though the Jews had not put him to death. Col. 1.20.14. Eph. 1.7. Rom. 3.25. Its true, the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the neceſſitie of Blood, in Heb. hath reference to the Conſtitutions of Moſes Law: but then it muſt be confeſſed that that Law did in its Curſe much explicate the former, and direct us to ſee what was threatned, and what muſt by the Meſſiah be ſuffered for us. Heb. 2.14. Chriſt was to deſtroy by death, him that had the power of death, that is the Devil: but it ſeems, that the Law gave him his power, at the Will and Sentence of the Iudge, for execution. 1 Cor. 15.26.54. Death is the laſt enemy to be overcome. O Death, where is thy ſling? O Grave, where is thy victory? This is no doubt, the death now in queſtion; It is the evils befallen mankinde in execution of the violated Law, that are called enemies. Though we dye, it ſeems, there was a neceſſitie of Chriſts dying to looſe the bonds of our Death, and procure us a Reſurrection. Rom. 5.17. As by one mans offence death reigned by one, &c. That one man muſt dye for the people, C…iaphus propheſied, Joh. 18.14.
3. The ſentence uſeth to contain what is threatned in the Law, and though part may be remitted, yet the other part is the ſame threatned. But Gods Sentence on Adam, contained the penaltie of a temporal Death. Though he mentioned not the Eternal, becauſe he would provide a remedy, yet the temporal, as one part meant in the threatning he laid on man himſelf: Duſt thou art, and to duſt ſhalt thou return; This is not as you imagine, Lex poſt lata; but ſententia Judicis Legis viola…ae comminationem exequentis. When it is ſaid, 1 Cor. 15.22. in Adam all dye; it is, in Adams finning all became guilty of it, and in Adam then ſentenced, all were adjudged to it. Which is intimated alſo Rom. 5.12. Sin entered into the world, and death by ſin, and ſo death paſſed on all men▪ for that all have ſinned.
So that the ſentence expreſſing this Death particularly, and Chriſt bearing it neceſſarily, and (adde moreover) all mankinde, for the generality, bearing it certainly, and alſo Death ſignifying primarily the ſeparation of Soul and Body, it ſeems to me moſt probable, that this Death was in ſpecial meant in the threatning.
But you ſay, He takes the ſame way where his Juſtice hath ſatisfaction; thoſe that are priviledged from death as the wages of ſin, thus Dye. Reply. I do not believe you that any are Priviledged from death as the wages of ſin, who dye. This is the part of the penalty which the ſentence paſſed on the offendor himſelf, for all the promiſed ſatisfaction by a Redeemer: Nor did the Redeemer ſatisfie to that end, to prevent our death, or to cauſe that it ſhould not be the wages of ſin but to deliver us from under the power of it. Where you ſay, that this way of God with unbelievers is voluntary, not neceſsitated: I Reply; So it may be nevertheleſs, becauſe it was meant in the threatning. It is dangerous to imagine that God is ever the leſs free, or more neceſſitated, ſo as that his actions ſhould be leſs voluntary, becauſe of his determinations. He doth as voluntarily do what he hath predetermined to do, and foretold he will do, as if he had done neither. God changeth not, and therefore he is as voluntary in the execution, as he was in the determination.
§. 59. Of the Law as made to Chriſt.
Mr. Bl. CHap. 6. p. 25. And though Mr. Baxter doubts whether it be any part of Gods Legiſlative Will, as it referrs to Chriſt, but only as it belongs to us as a Propheſie what God would do in the advancing of Chriſt and his Kingdom, and ſo of us; Append, p. 39. Yet me thinks it is plain, ſeeing Chriſt acknowledges a command from his Father, in laying down his life, Joh. 10.18. and the Apoſtle ſpeaking of the work, ſaith, He was obedient in it, &c.
§. 59.
R. B. ONe that had not read what I write, would think by your Anſwer, that I had made a doubt whether there be any Law made to Chriſt at all or not? Whereas I ſpake only of that called the Covenant between the Father and the Son made from Eternity: or the promiſes expreſſed by the Prophets as to Chriſt in his meer Divine nature, not yet incarnate: For I conceive that Chriſt before the incarnation, may not be ſaid to be a ſubject; and that God is not properly ſaid to command himſelf, or covenant with himſelf, or make promiſes by Prophets to himſelf. But I deny not but that Chriſt as man was under a Law, yea and a Law peculiar to himſelf, whereto no other creature is ſubject; even the Law of Mediation, which deſerves in the body of Theologie a peculiar place, and the handling of it, as diſtinct from all the Laws made with us men, is of ſpecial uſe, and if well done, would do much to remove the ſtumbling blocks which the Antinomians fall upon.
§. 60. Whether the Sacraments ſeal the conditional Promiſe abſolutely? or the concluſion conditionally, when only one of the Premiſes is of Divine Revelation? And whether this concluſion be de fide, I am Juſtified and ſhall be ſaved.
Mr. Bl. p. 38. BƲt that which I may not paſs, is ſomewhat of concernment both to my ſelf and the preſent cauſe in hand, &c.
§. 60.
R. B. I Need not tranſcribe theſe words, being of another, and not ſpoke to me. But I will paſs my conjecture to his queſtions. 1. I conjecture that the Queriſt by Evading, meant Owning and Juſtifying the fact, and ſo evading the blame. 2. To the ſecond I conjecture the Queriſt had been lately converſant in Mr. Blakes book, and ſo it was in his memorie: and whether he knew what thoſe whom you mention do hold I cannot tell. 3. To the third; If by Sacramental ſealing, you mean Conditional ſealing, I conjecture his conceit might be this, that as the Promiſe may be conditionally tendred to Infidels, Murderers, or any other▪ ſo might the Seal, if it were but Conditional as the Promiſe. As we may ſay to the worſt; If thou wil… believe, thou ſhalt be ſaved; ſo might we conditionally ſeal ſalvation to him. But I take this to be a great miſtake.
§. 61.
Mr. Bl. p. 40. MR Baxter (who is put to it, to ſtoop too low in the anſwer of ſuch trifles) in his anſwer to this now in hand, hath taken much pains to finde out the way of the Sacraments ſealing; and in the reſult, he and I ſhall not be found much to differ; yet ſeeing providence made me the occaſion of ſtarting the queſtion, I ſhall take leave to take ſome view of what is ſaid. Mr. Baxter ſaith, It is in vain to enquire, whether the Sacraments do ſeal Abſolutely or Conditionally, till you firſt know what is that they do ſeal; and in order to the finding this out, he layes down the way that a Chriſtian doth gather the aſſurance of his Juſtification and Salvation; which is thus, He that believeth is Juſtified, and ſhall be ſaved: but I believe, therefore I am Juſtified and ſhall be ſaved; I confeſs if I had been put upon a diſcovery of that which is ſealed in the Sacraments, this Syllogiſm (I think) would ſcarce have come into my thoughts, ſeeing the Seal is Gods (as Mr. Baxter obſerves) I ſhould have rather looked for one from him, then to have ſuppoſed a believer to have been upon the frame of one.
§. 61.
R. B. THis diſpute is ſo confuſed, and ſo much about words that I would not have meddled with it, (let men have made what uſe of yours they pleaſed) but only for ſome matters of greater moment that fall in upon the by, in your handling it. I think your meaning and mine is the ſame. 1. I not only ſaid, (as you expreſs) that the Seal is Gods, but gave my Reaſons to prove a mutual Sealing as well as a mutual Covenanting. 2. What reaſon have you why I might not illuſtrate the matter by this Syllogiſm, as well as another. 3. If you will have a Syllogiſm of Gods making, why did you not tell us when or where you found it? and let us ſee as well as you, whence you had it, that we may know God made it. God doth not nectere Syllogiſmos for himſelf, nor actu immanente: if he do it, it is only for us per actum tranſeuntem: and then it may be found in his word. But more of that anon. 4. I ſhould think (though for illuſtration I judged it not unuſeful) that it is of no neceſſitie for you or me to talk of any Syllogiſm at all, in the enquiry after the ſealed propoſition. If it be but one propoſition, we may expreſs it alone: If more, we may diſtinctly expreſs them; rather then that ſhall breed any difference, I care not whether my Syllogiſm be mentioned any more: Let us ſee what yours is.
§. 62.
Mr. Bl. ANd ſuch a one I ſhould have looked to have gathered up from the Inſtitution, and thus (I conceive) framed; He to whom I give Chriſt, to him I give Juſtification and Salvation: But here I give thee Chriſt; therefore to thee I give Juſtification and Salvation.
§. 63.
R. B. 1. WHat mean you by gathering it? Do you mean that you will read it there ready formed? If ſo, ſhew us the Chapter and Verſe? But that muſt not be expected; for you ſay anon, that it is ſomething not written that is ſealed. Or do you mean that in the Inſtitution, God gives you the materials, and you form it your ſelves? If ſo, why blamed you mine, which is of mans forming, but yet as you ſuppoſe, the materials ſo far of God, that the concluſion is de fide. To give you the materials of a Syllogiſm, is not to give you a Syllogiſm; for the form denominates. I muſt therefore ſuppoſe a Believer yet to be upon the frame of one (as you ſpeak). For I take you to be a Believer▪ and I finde you here at it very ſeriouſly. 2. I confeſs, (though I have no minde to quarrel with your Syllogiſm) that I am never the better for the ſubſtitution of this in the room of the humane one. I know not the meaning of the firſt word, (but I will not ſtand on that, as being I know but a verbal ſlip) I do not apprehend what uſe there can be for this Syllogiſm in this buſineſs. 1. It is ſuppoſed that every Chriſtian knows that Chriſt and Remiſſion are given together; and when they know it, what uſe for ſyllogizing towards the explication of the uſe of that Seal? 2. Nay doth not your arguing intimate that the believer is more aſſured that Chriſt is given to him, then that pardon is given him? Or elſe if the former were not quid notius, how could it be a fit medium? you ſuppoſe his doubt to be of pardon and ſalvation, and the former brought to prove that, whereas I think, few doubt of one, but they doubt of the other: and I think the Sacrament ſealeth the gift of Chriſt, as well as of pardon, as you confeſs. I ſee not but you might have laid down as conveniently in this one propoſition, all that you ſay is ſealed, I give thee Chriſt and Juſtification and Salvation. But this is of ſmall moment.
§. 64.
Mr. Bl. THe major here is not ſealed; for the Sacraments ſeal to the truth of no general Propoſitions, but they ſeal with application to particular perſons to whom the Elements are diſpenſed, as Proteſtant Writers have defended againſt Papiſts, and put into the difinition of a Sacrament, it ſeals then that which ſupplies the place of the minor in this tender, which is Gods gift of Chriſt. In the Sacrament Chriſt ſaith, This is my body; he ſaith this is my blood; and this is ſaid to all that communicate. Now whether this gift of the body and blood of Chriſt be Abſolutely or Conditionally ſealed, will be eaſily reſolved. The outward Elements are given on this condition that we receive them, that we eate and drink them. We have not Chriſt Sacramentally, till we have taken and eaten and drunk the Elements. We have not Chriſt in the Sacrament before our Souls h…ld f…th that which anſwers to this eating and drinking. That which all do not partake of that receive the Sacrament, is not Abſolutely but Conditionally ſealed in the Sacrament. None can miſs of that which God abſolutely grants and abſolutely ſealeth. But all do not partake of Chriſt in the Sacrament; therefore he is not Abſolutely but Conditionally ſealed in the Sacrament.